Anyone who has worked in the Domestic Violence field knows of cases where a victim chose to remain with a batterer rather than abandon a beloved pet, because so many DV Shelters will not allow those fleeing a violent situation to bring their pets with them. Dr. Frank Ascione, the world's leading authority on the connections between animal abuse, child abuse, and domestic violence, has provided a real solution in his ground–breaking Safe Havens for Pets. The production and dissemination of the book was made possible by funding from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The entire print run has been distributed, but you can still get it FREE, via a downloadable PDF, right here at The Zero. Just click here.

Frank R. Ascione received his bachelors degree in psychology from Georgetown University in 1969 and his doctoral degree in developmental psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1973. He is a professor in the Department of Psychology and adjunct professor in Family and Human Development at Utah State University (USU). Dr. Ascione has published numerous articles on the development of antisocial and prosocial behavior in children, coedited two books Cruelty to Animals and Interpersonal Violence: Readings in Research and Application (1998), Child Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Animal Abuse: Linking the Circles of Compassion for Prevention and Intervention (1998), both published by Purdue University Press, and authored Safe Havens for Pets: Guidelines for Programs Sheltering Pets for Women who are Battered. In the fall of 2001, the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention published Ascione's review of animal abuse and youth violence as a Research Bulletin. Children and Animals, Kindness and Cruelty is Dr. Ascione's latest book and is scheduled to be published in 2004 by Purdue University Press. The International Handbook of Theory and Research on Animal Abuse and Cruelty will be edited by Dr. Ascione with an anticipated publication date in late 2005 or early 2006. Development of this handbook is sponsored by the Scott Charitable Trust. Dr. Ascione was selected to receive the 2001 Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Association of Human–Animal Interaction Organizations and the International Society for Anthrozoology and in 2002, was selected as USU's College of Education Scholar/Researcher of the Year.

Dr. Ascione has conducted research related to humane education and children's attitudes toward animals. More recently, he has focused his attention on child and adolescent animal abuse.This research examines the common roots of violence toward people and animals and is directed at identifying an early indicator of at'risk status in children. An invited speaker at local, national, and international conferences (including recent conferences in Tel Aviv, Geneva, Dublin, Prague, Florence, Rome, Brussels, Gothenburg, Cambridge, Toronto, Vancouver (BC), London (Ontario), Rio de Janeiro, Kobe, Tokyo, and Amsterdam), Dr. Ascione has collaborated with human services, social work, and child development staff working with abused children, with youth corrections personnel, and with state shelters for women who are battered. His work has been supported by the Humane Society of the United States, the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the American Humane Association, the Scott Charitable Trust, and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Dr. Ascione has provided information or testimony for the state legislatures of Utah, Ohio, Colorado, and Washington, regarding cruelty to animals legislation. He has appeared on CNN's "Live from the Headlines", the Oprah Winfrey Show, and has been a guest on numerous local and national TV and radio programs.

A member of the American Psychological Association and the Society for Research on Child Development, Dr. Ascione served on the Scientific Advisory Council of the Humane Society of the United States and serves on the Child and Animal Abuse Prevention Advisory Council of the Latham Foundation. He is past president of the Southwestern Society for Research in Human Development and is a member of the cadre of experts for The American Psychological Association's Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family.

Born and raised in New York City, Frank and his wife Deborah have three adult children, Matthew, Catherine, and David, and reside in Logan, Utah.

Andrew Vachss and The Zero would like to congratulate Frank R. Ascione, Ph.D., on his receipt of the 2001 Distinguished Scholar Award from the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations and the International Society for Anthrozoology. We have been honored to feature Dr. Ascione's work regarding the links between personal violence and animal cruelty on The Zero, and add our respect to that of the Society's.